It used to be.
But not anymore.
Victor's tone softened a little. "I'm sorry. I lost my temper just now and said things too harshly."
"You've been on edge ever since you got back today. You're my girlfriend, and Kathleen is a guest—more than that, she's my advisor's daughter."
"If you make her cry, my advisor and all the guys in the lab are going to want my head the next time I see them."
Victor came closer, reached out, and wrapped his arms around me from behind.
"Come on, Marie. Stop making a scene."
"Kathleen's only staying a couple more days. Once the pipes at her place are fixed, she'll move out. You'll just have to put up with a hotel for a little while."
There was a time when Victor pulling me into his arms like this would have left me smug, riding the high for ages.
But now his embrace felt like it was covered in thorns.
"Victor." I broke free of his hold. "When it comes right down to it, you still want to throw me out. Throw me out of my own home. Is that it?"
Victor knotted his brows and stared at me for a long moment, then sighed.
"If you don't want to move out, that's fine too."
He raised his hand and pointed toward the study and the storage room. "You can lay out a mat in there. Rough it for a few nights."
People really do laugh when they're past words.
I looked down and let out two short laughs. "So you're the one who changed the door code. Right?"
Victor froze for a second, then nodded.
"The old one was too simple. Kathleen said it wasn't very safe, so I changed it."
"Then why didn't you send me the new code?"
I was the owner of this place, and I didn't even know what the new code was.
Victor paused. "Sorry, I was so busy with my experiments I forgot. I'll send it to you now."
My phone buzzed twice.
Victor put his phone away. "There. Nothing else now, right?"
He pointed at the dog bowl sitting on the floor.
"Eat the cake if you want it, leave it if you don't. Just stop making a fuss."
I didn't say anything. I just turned and started packing my things.
There wasn't much to pack, really. It had all been gathered into one spot already.
As if someone had boxed it up for me ahead of time, leaving only the act of tossing it out the door.
As for the birthday gift box I'd prepared from a thousand miles away.
I never got to give it to him. I dropped it straight into the trash.
I dragged out the storage bin and stuffed clothes in one by one, working fast, the fabric rustling against itself.
The sound caught Victor's attention.
"What are you doing?"
He came over, startled, and pressed his hand down on the lid. "It's the middle of the night. Why are you even pulling out your off-season winter clothes?"
I didn't lift my head. My voice came out cold.
"Let go. I'm moving out."
"Moving out where? This is your home!"
I looked up at him. For an instant there was panic in his eyes, but it was quickly buried under impatience.
"Marie, can't you be a little more mature?"
"I already told you, there's nothing between me and Kathleen. We're just friends. She's my advisor's daughter, and my advisor has helped me out plenty. I can't just let her end up out on the street."
I gave a cold laugh.
"So you can stand to let me, your girlfriend, end up out on the street?"
Victor's frown deepened.
"You've got somewhere to go, don't you? You're a few years older than Kathleen, you travel for work all the time, you're used to hotels. You can adapt. Kathleen can't."
"Kathleen was pampered her whole life. She's a germaphobe. She can't handle living somewhere unfamiliar."
Kathleen padded in from the living room, barefoot.
"Marie, I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were coming back today... Maybe I should just go. I'll stay at a hotel. Please don't fight over me."
